Lies, Secrets and Apple pies

Chapter 14

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Friday night, I was either at home or out with friends. My preferred method of enjoyment- Netflixing and take out. Trick was at work. Bryant was at work. Courtney was at a friend's, I think. Talia was at some party or something. Amarah was with her mom.

Everyone in the house had a pretty set schedule, so I loved working mornings because I could come home to an empty house more often than not. I ordered my oxtail meal before entering my bath. It would be here in an hour. I thought about what I wanted to watch on Netflix. Scary movie, maybe not while I'm home alone. You. Big Mouth. Atypical.

I settled on The Dragon Prince. It was just me and my oxtail plate with my feet propped up on the coffee table. I love The Dragon Prince. My favorite character was Rayla. She was tough, witty, and sarcastic- a few of my favorite character traits. The savory oxtail in my hand was cooked to perfection. Brown, juicy and soft. The rice and beans, a perfect complement to the palatable meat morsel. This night couldn't get any better.

The doorknob jiggled, and a hand pushed the door open. Talia walked in along with her sometimes beau Naveed. Yup, this night couldn't get any better. Talia was dressed in a black shirt with her short, black boxers. The words "Flirty like a Hershey" on the back of them. Yup, that's what my one year older sister wore in late January.

"Hey, Mi'a. What are you eating? I want some." Talia said, plopping her behind right beside me on the couch. She grabs my spoon and plate before I can even say, "nay."

Her boyfriend takes the seat beside her and my perfect Saturday night is now officially over. My phone buzzed, and it's a text from Trick. PayMe me 20 till I get there. I don't know why Trick doesn't just get a bank account. He carries thousands of dollars in cash around and claims

"it's not mine." Well, who is it? Trick worked at a tattoo shop, but I also knew he was involved in other businesses. More on that later. He was so paranoid. Trick always said, "I don't trust banks. They want my money." I sent Trick the money and took my plate back from Talia, who was still eating my food. My almost gone food.

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It was Sunday morning, and all was quiet. The sun is shining lightly through my dark, blue blackout curtains. They prevented a lot of sunlight from coming through my bedroom windows and waking me up. This wasn't one of those mornings. The loud, rants of yelling could be heard throughout the house.

"Oh, you trying to get me to pay child support? Who does that? Who does that? What kind of father does that?" Ayana, Bryant's baby mama, shouted.

I pick up my phone from my white bedroom nightstand. It's white with carved moons all-around a drawer and open shelf. Eight am. Ayana had nothing better to do at eight am on a Sunday morning. Praising the Lord? Buddha? Sleeping in? Yoga? Mediation? Nope. She was here at eight am ranting with my brother.

" 'Cuz you trying to make me pay for child support when Amarah stays with me. How do you sound? How do you sound? Dumb! That's what. Now get out of here." Bryant yelled back.

I slowly got out of bed. I had a shift at work from ten until twelve. It was a short shift and only worth forty bucks, but it was easy work. Church shifts met more kids but more help. Aurora Lionel would be there. My archnemesis. Her family went to church at Peachtree Baptist Church, but Aurora always worked. It was probably, so she didn't have to attend the service with her family. Family, I wanted to get away from them now.

I stretch my upper limbs and then my lower ones. I walk into my bathroom and wash my face with coconut scrub. I wait to brush my teeth until after I've eaten breakfast. I throw on my pink PINK shirt and some loose black leggings. My hair I spray down with some coconut leave-in mist before combing it out with a pick. I leave my room, and my siblings are all in the living room basking in the baby mama drama that is Ayana and Bryant.

Ayana is eyeing Talia, her ex-best friend. They were friends until after high school and fought for some reason at the end. I didn't know much besides the fact that Ayana got her butt whooped, and she didn't seem all too eager for it to happen again. Talia, on the other hand, seemed more interested in her reflection in the living room mirror. Good grief. Trick, as always, was just ignoring the situation and playing his PlayStation on the couch.

"I ain't going nowhere until I get my daughter. Amarah. Amarah. Come on." Ayana yelled for my niece. She waltzed into the living room, looking from one parent to the other. She went to her daddy.

Bryant smiled at his apparent victory. Amarah perked her lips up, mimicking her father's happy physiognomy. "So there's the door, Ayana. Bye!" Bryant repeated.

"Amarah, come here now!" Ayana screeched. She stamped her foot on the floor, awaking my conceited sister from her mirror trance.

Talia turns around, hand on hip and mouth ajar, "See, that's what we not going to do." Talia brushed her hair and flared her nostrils. Oh shit! "Now get your ass out of here, Ayana, before I beat that ass again."

"Mhh-hmmm," Amarah murmured.

"I'ma be back Bryant, and you ain't going to like it." Ayana declared, storming out of our house.

"So, I'ma make breakfast, and then I'm out of here. I got work. Don't forget rent due soon, Talia." I say, yawning into my hand Shikamaru style.

"Why you saying my name like I be late on rent?" Talia sassed, passing me the breakfast items.

" 'Cuz you, do," Bryant said, kissing his giggling daughter on the lips.

"Y'all right, but I ain't going to be late this time."

"Weren't you fired?" I stated.

"What's your point, Mi'a? What's your point?" Talia said, shaking her head to the left and right.

It was almost time for wor,k and I did not have time to debate with my sister on her ability to keep a job or lack of ability, I should say. I made and gobbled breakfast. My chocolate almond milk going smoothly down the inner walls of my pharynx. Nurse talk or nerd talk if you talk to my siblings.

I throw on a light purple PINK shirt and some black leggings. My purple and white good at naps socks waiting for me next. I wash my face with cocoa butter cleanser and then apply some coffee snelling lotion to my face. Ashy and sleepy, not being the look I'm going for today. I look at my teeth after mouth washing and my clean face. Almost done. I just have one more thing to do. The hardest thing because, like my schoolwork, I do the easy stuff first and then the rough shit next. I take off the silk bonnet that does little for the dry, harsh, black, and coarse mane I call my hair. It's matted down from my eight-hour sleep, and I look at the detangling spray in my hand. This is going to take a while.